Biking Days 2 and 3 ~ BaBa White Sheep Have You Any Wool

BaBa White Sheep Have You Any Wool? 

Bike Day #2: From Ophir and Omakau to Oturehua (29 km)

Wednesday, Feb 28

We check out the old Ophir post office for a tour before leaving and I get my Railway pass stamped. (While John has stopped doing this, I am still collecting stamps so I can impress people with my train passport!)

We cycle through Matakanui Valley where there are many sheep and cattle farms. There used to be 70 million sheep  in New Zealand and sadly now are only 30 million. 

Originally the New Zealand government promised the sheep farmers a set price for sheep so that if the price of lamb dropped they would still make money. 

However, when the government stopped doing this 20-30 years ago many farmers went out of business.  Apparently New Zealand wool rugs are being replaced by nylon rugs and there is not as much interest in wool ~ except of course marino wool which I am wearing because it doesn’t smell. Sheep are being replaced by beef which is more lucrative but more of an environmental problem than sheep because of the methane contamination of water, soil and air. Clearly there are water wars here. I notice that John has begun speaking to the sheep with ba ~ ba sounds! 

We stop at an adorable place to pick up a picnic lunch, at a place called Lauder Stationside Café.

Lauder Cafe

I love the garden art.  Hmm the best cheese scones I have ever had.  Is there something about exercise outdoors that makes one enjoy food more?  
I stop to talk to a man whose bike is laden with a tent, sleeping bag, and stove and ask them about his trip. He says that he and his wife are biking for 2 years. I say, "wow, I'll tell my children about this idea," and he replies, " well why don't you do this? We are 57 years old and can do it so you can too!" While I like the idea that he thinks I am the same age, I am not sure I want 2 years on the road in a tent ~ my thighs are still steaming and screaming. Moreover, how could get all my clothes for 2 years on a bike? 

Gear for 2 years

From Lauder to Oturehua we cross 2 bridges and then bike through a gorge to Ida Valley. 

We then pass through 2 tunnels walking our bikes with torches and over viaducts.  

A lot of this days’ biking was also uphill and I think it will never end but then there is a wonderful downhill ride to Oturehua. 

I  lose John to the roadways and visit the Gilchrist’s General Store to ask for directions.  This unique store is packed with memorabilia and antiques such as an original telephone exchange which I once used when I worked at at Banff Springs Hotel as a college student.  Really an antique store with things I have used in my lifetime… not so antique!   We arrive at 3pm at Marchburn Country Lodge, a B&B with 2 rooms situated on the side of the trail.  Like the prior place this owner built this simple ranch house as a retirement project 6 years ago because he wanted to be nearby skiing opportunities. While he ran the B&B, prepared the breakfasts and did all the laundry, his wife still worked in Auckland. Another model for a retirement arrangement!

View from window of Marchburn Lodge

We are picked up at 4 pm by Nick and along with Julie and Stewart another couple from Christ Church who seem to be on the same bike schedule as us and we are taken for a beautiful tour of the surrounding hills where we stop at the overlook above Saint Bathans where his home is located.

St Bathans is another historic gold mining town. Currently the town consists of 10 permanent residents, having originally had 2000 during the  gold rush era.  We stop here for a craft beer in an authentic bar in the Famous Vulcan Hotel the only remaining hotel in St Bathans. 

Nick recalls playing here as a child and tells us of its curling bonspiels. When it is cold enough here for the ice to freeze over every New Zealand curler has 48 hours notice to get here for a 2-day curling bonspiel.  The Scottish have definitely brought their culture here. I would most definitely like this.

St Bathans Mine Area (Stuart's picture)

We walk down to see the emerald colored lake surrounded by white cliffs that was once a huge pit where gravel was removed for gold recovery. Apparently a few miners still do pan for and find gold. Nick comes here with his wife for picnics on the beach. 

We pass by a school house and we stop to check it out where  the teacher rules from 1872

are posted. Thankfully I was not born then! 

  

Afterwards Nick took us to his house to meet his Swiss wife and business partner Andrea for dinner. Their magical place is situated with a spectacular view of the mountains and country side.  

View from Nick's house

Nick and Andrea cooked us a great meal of barbecued lamb chops, venison burgers, and sausages of some sort of meat from Nick’s brother’s farm. It was a lively meal with discussions of New Zealand life and policies regarding their new labor coalition government led by a 37-year-old female Prime Minister who will soon be having a baby (and taking a 9 month paid leave as the government just changed this law to expand from 3 to 9 months). New Zealand seems such a polar opposite in values compared to United States regarding everything from environmental issues, to immigration and multicultural acceptance, to universal health care, to a female Prime Minister with integrity that I have fantasies of moving to this safe haven for the next phase of my life.

Bike Day #3: Oturehua up to Wedderburn Hill to Ranfurly (25 km)

Thursday March 1

On this morning we ride from Marchburn Lodge to the 2^nd steepest ascent where the highest point is 618 meters above sea level. From here we have a great downhill ride into Wedderburn (12 km) and then on to Ranfurly another 13 km. 

This is an easy cycle through farmland and mountain ranges. We have lunch lunch in another historic and picturesque town opposite the Ranfurly Railway Station. We are picked up by a retired local rancher and taken to Naseby, a nearby even more picturesque village with buildings dated back to gold rush days  but famous now for mountain biking tracks & a curling rink. Yeah a chance to curl again!  Old Doctors Residence a charming home with two lovely suites and a guest lounge is our B&B for the evening. 

Old Doctor's Residence

We were booked into 2000Ft restaurant for dinner but it was closed and meeting up with Julie and Stewart we go for dinner at a local pub restaurant, alive with cricket players and local atmosphere. Dinner of a rump of lamb shared again with Julie and Stewart who we are thoroughly enjoying getting to know make it another great evening. They invite us to visit them in Christ Church at the end of our trip and we are really tempted.